Financial Report for 2001

by Joe Chambers

Financial Secretary-Treasurer

During 2001, expenses were $935,663.12 while income was only $896,994.10. This caused a reduction in the funds available to Local 7-232 of $38,669.

2001 was a challenging year for Local 7-232. We completed negotiations for contracts at both Briggs & Stratton and at Strattec Security. However at Strattec, it took a strike before we were able to get an agreement.

This caused expenses we should not have in 2002.

Membership at Briggs decreased through the year, and it will continue to do so in 2002.

Efforts have been made to compensate for the lower membership and reduced income in the Local.

The size of the Briggs Bargaining Committee was reduced with the elimination of the Grievance Rep for West Allis after all members from that plant were moved to the Burleigh Plant. This saves money for the Local, but the Executive Board will be evaluating the situation to try to see that the committee remains diverse enough to represent all members.

This will be a difficult decision as we try to seek a balance on the bargaining committees at both Briggs and Strattec to control expenses while having a representative committee at the bargaining table.

At Briggs, the Bargaining Committee was able to negotiate Health Insurance Benefits for the full time officers and compensation analyst on leave of absence from Briggs & Stratton. This will save the Local over $2,000 each month. The health insurance cost for the Local had been increasing at a much faster rate than that at Briggs or Strattec.

At the end of December, our only remaining secretary retired. In anticipation of the impending reductions in membership, she was not replaced with another full-time person. Instead we now have a part-time secretary that works only 18 hours per week. This is also saving over $2,000 each month.

This results in some calls going to voice mail when we have no secretary and the president and I are not available, but we will return calls as soon as possible. I have picked up some of the work that the full-time secretary did.

Summary of Income and Expenses During 2001

Number of Members Paying Dues During 2001 (by month)